Gets slower & slower until I have to reboot

I've used Vista for one year now and I'm so frustrated! This problem started
a few months after I purchased this new PC from Dell: if I have more than 3-4
programmes running (say, IE, outlook, corel draw and MSN messenger) the whole
system starts slowing down after a while (menus don't open, new windows don't
open, new IE shells are blank with no menu on top and stuff like that). I
checked and the memory used is never more than 60%, CPU usage is often very
low but still....
I've always used the computer this way, opening various applications at a
time (like most people, I guess), but I'm not talking about 3D rendering
software, huge games and stuff. With XP I would be able to open a LOT more
things at a time and I had 1 gig RAM (this PC has 4 gigs, even though Vista
32bit just sees 3 gigs. Anyway, it was an offer from Dell, I got 4 for the
price of 2 so I took it).

Does anyone else have the same problem. Any suggestion, apart from getting
back to XP?

thanks

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the first problem is that it is a
Dell. They are definitely not the machines to buy.

However, having said that, you could simply be suffering from overheating of
the CPU which you can check, when it starts to slow by rebooting and going
into BIOS and if you are lucky, it could be that you have your virtual
memory set too low which you can check from Control Panel/System/Advanced
Settings. You can also do all the regular things such as check for spyware,
virus stuff etc and defrag. If you are running Nortons, you can get rid of
that and put in the better FREE program AVG. You WILL note the speed
increase and it finds more than Nortons too. Did I mention it is FREE?

If none of that helps, you really DO need a local person employed in the
field to go over your machine and find out what is going on. It could also
be a faulty hard drive, a drying power supply, something else entirely such
as a dying CD/DVD that is causing havoc on your system.

"StefanoC." <StefanoC.@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:ABA7DCDE-D90E-47DF-918F-...
> I've used Vista for one year now and I'm so frustrated! This problem
> started
> a few months after I purchased this new PC from Dell: if I have more than
> 3-4
> programmes running (say, IE, outlook, corel draw and MSN messenger) the
> whole
> system starts slowing down after a while (menus don't open, new windows
> don't
> open, new IE shells are blank with no menu on top and stuff like that). I
> checked and the memory used is never more than 60%, CPU usage is often
> very
> low but still....
> I've always used the computer this way, opening various applications at a
> time (like most people, I guess), but I'm not talking about 3D rendering
> software, huge games and stuff. With XP I would be able to open a LOT more
> things at a time and I had 1 gig RAM (this PC has 4 gigs, even though
> Vista
> 32bit just sees 3 gigs. Anyway, it was an offer from Dell, I got 4 for the
> price of 2 so I took it).
>
> Does anyone else have the same problem. Any suggestion, apart from getting
> back to XP?
>
> thanks
>
>

"StefanoC." <StefanoC.@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:ABA7DCDE-D90E-47DF-918F-...
> I've used Vista for one year now and I'm so frustrated! This problem
> started
> a few months after I purchased this new PC from Dell: if I have more than
> 3-4
> programmes running (say, IE, outlook, corel draw and MSN messenger) the
> whole
> system starts slowing down after a while (menus don't open, new windows
> don't
> open, new IE shells are blank with no menu on top and stuff like that). I
> checked and the memory used is never more than 60%, CPU usage is often
> very
> low but still....
> I've always used the computer this way, opening various applications at a
> time (like most people, I guess), but I'm not talking about 3D rendering
> software, huge games and stuff. With XP I would be able to open a LOT more
> things at a time and I had 1 gig RAM (this PC has 4 gigs, even though
> Vista
> 32bit just sees 3 gigs. Anyway, it was an offer from Dell, I got 4 for the
> price of 2 so I took it).
>
> Does anyone else have the same problem. Any suggestion, apart from getting
> back to XP?
>
> thanks
>
>


Stefano,

I've run Vista on numerous Dell's without issue. Running it right now on an
Optiplex GX620, two Latitude D620's, and an XPS Gen 2 desktop... no problems
like you describe. So, no, don't think it's because it's a Dell.

What did you install "...a few months after..." you purchased this box?
Sounds like it could be a specific application that may be the root cause.
What AV program are you using? (They're notorious for slowing a box down,
regardless of OS flavor... Symantec's one of the worst.) Are you running any
anti-spyware apps on your box? Spyware can do a number on performance.

At any rate... sounds like something is hogging your system resources. Have
you checked out Task Manager to see what tasks are running and what
resources they're consuming? (Look on the Processes tab... sort by cpu.)
When I run Firefox on my Mac Pro... sometimes it hogs resources to the point
where I can do nothing... have to shut down FF to regain control of the
system.

Good luck!

Lang